Korean Air has awarded Swissport a five-year contract to operate its long-standing freight hub, Cargo Building 9, at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

The agreement gives Swissport full management and sublease responsibilities for the 232,500 sq ft facility, which will be extensively upgraded under a major modernisation plan.

Swissport, which has been present at JFK since 1969, will invest in automation, eco-technology and digital systems to raise efficiency and sustainability standards. Planned upgrades include a complete overhaul of the facility’s elevating transfer vehicle (ETV) system, the introduction of new temperature-controlled storage for specialist cargo, and high-density racking systems. Once completed, the building’s annual handling capacity is expected to rise from 200,000 to 295,500 tonnes.

Dedicated Korean Air Cargo operations will begin with around 80 staff, expanding to more than 390 employees once the facility is fully operational.

Nelson Camacho, chief executive of Swissport North America and Canada, said: “We are aligned in our mission to provide operational excellence to Korean Air Cargo’s customers. Swissport is strongly committed to raising and further fine-tuning the standard of cargo handling at New York JFK airport and is therefore investing significantly in high-tech automation, transparent systems and enhanced safety measures.”

Jaedong Eum, executive vice president and head of the cargo business division at Korean Air, added: “Together with Swissport, we will establish a blueprint at JFK for a highly successful Cargo Path Forward over the coming years.”

Sustainability will be central to the redevelopment. Swissport plans to operate an all-electric ground support equipment (GSE) fleet for freighter operations, supported by new charging infrastructure developed in collaboration with the Port Authority. It will also roll out Bionatur biodegradable products across the North American region to reduce plastic waste in cargo packaging and handling.

Ajay Barolia, executive vice president cargo at Swissport North America, said: “To support our objectives, we are introducing forward-thinking initiatives such as sustainable, energy-efficient GSE, advanced automation and autonomous technologies. These investments will future-proof Cargo Building 9 and ensure it is ready to meet both current demand and future growth.”

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